Dish

September 09, 2004

La Boca Mexican Restaurant

520 Main St., Middletown

860-347-4777

Scene and cuisine: For years La Boca in Middletown was a place to people-watch, meet friends for tortilla chips and a beer or a margarita and chow down on the closest thing to Mexican food in the area. When it closed in 1991 Middletown took the loss hard. Two years ago it re-opened and brought the legend back to life.

FOR THE RECORD - Correction published September 11, 2004.A 2002 capsule review of The Hathaway restaurant in East Hampton, reprinted on Page 14 of Thursday's Cal section, is out of date. The Hathaway no longer exists; that site is now occupied by Angelico's Lakehouse Restaurant.

Wow factor: ``The shrimp, camarones al mojo de ajo arrive at the table cooked just so. They're juicy and tender, but with an appealing snap and sense of freshness. There's a refreshing clarity to this dish built on olive oil, green onions, garlic and herbs, then served on a bed of rice.''

The 411: Open for dinner Monday to Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m. and Sunday 4 to 9 p.m. Major credit cards accepted.

-- Bill Daley, The Courant,

Reviewed Oct. 6, 2002

Tosca

68 Bridge St., Suffield

860-668-0273

Scene and cuisine: Tosca, a small, clubby restaurant near Bradley International Airport, offers ambitious Italian fare with balance and flair.

Wow factor: ``Tosca does a virtuoso job with its meats. My wife raves over the Black Angus beef tenderloin, proclaiming it the tenderest piece of meat she's encountered in a long while ... The roasted pork tenderloin is also stellar.''

The 411: Open Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m. Closed Monday. Major credit cards accepted.

-- Bill Daley, The Courant,

Reviewed Sept. 1, 2002

The Hathaway

81 N. Main St., East Hampton

860-267-1276

Scene and cuisine: The Hathaway is a local landmark, known for its good food and sweeping views of Lake Pocotopaug from tables in the dining room, front porch and side yard.

Wow factor: ``The coffee creme brulee is the best I've ever tasted. The smooth coffee custard, so eggy and rich, gets a light shellacking of caramelized sugar. The sweetness of the glaze perfectly offsets the slightly bitter sassiness of the coffee flavoring.''

The 411: Open for dinner, Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. Closed Monday. American Express, MasterCard and Visa credit cards accepted.

-- Bill Daley, The Courant,

Reviewed Oct. 6, 2002

East Buffet and Restaurant

2100 Dixwell Ave., Hamden

203-288-8898

Scene and cuisine: Buffet joints usually leave you stuffed but not satisfied. Not so at East Buffet, a bustling Chinese eatery that our critic described as ``the most awesome, and delicious'' buffet he had ever encountered. The buffet -- 150 items served in a restaurant and an upscale all-purpose supermarket -- offered great food at bargain all-year-can eat prices.

Wow factor: ``I'm particularly taken with the dim sum selection. The ``juicy'' pork dumplings are some of the best I've ever tasted, with the nubby ground pork filling encased in a delicate dough wrapper.''

The 411: Open daily for lunch, noon to 3 p.m.; dinner daily, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Visa, MasterCard and American Express accepted.

-- Bill Daley, The Courant, reviewed Oct. 27, 2002

Il Panino

615 Franklin Ave., Hartford

860-296-0264

Scene and cuisine: Prices are moderate, service is friendly and portions are generous at this Franklin Avenue eatery, which features Romanian dishes in addition to a medley of Italian and American offerings.

Wow factor: ``A hot artichoke dip is an instant 1970s flashback. Try this, though, and you immediately recall what the fuss was all about then. The richness of the artichokes swimming in thick, cheesy sauce is irresistible. There are plenty of toasted garlic-bread rounds for scooping.''